Don DeLillo Reads Up A Storm Next Week

By Maggie Hellwig in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 12, 2012 6:00PM

Earlier this year, Chicagoist was agog over the genius of Don DeLillo's latest book: The Angel Esmeralda. Since its release, the carefully crafted collection of short stories has been a finalist for the 2011 Story Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

With the sponsorship of the Chicago Public Library and the CPL Foundation, the celebrated contemporary author will read from The Angel Esmeralda next Thursday. Donna Seaman, Senior Editor of Booklist, will lead DeLillo in a discussion. Seaman's review is another solid endorsement on behalf of DeLillo's Nine Stories. She commends his ability to articulate the actualities that assail our imaginations with anxiety:

In each trenchant tale, DeLillo shows us that we are made of stories and that our quest for anchorage in safe harbors is a grand illusion. This towering collection builds in the mind like a mighty cumulonimbus lit by lightning flashes and scored with thunder.

We doubt that there will be a "mighty cumulonimbus" or a thunderstorm inside of the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, but DeLillo's words may just be enough to make the ambiance exude rain. The event is free, and no reservations are required. However, there might be a line of book nerds and college students trailing down State Street, so a head start is suggested.

Thursday, Oct. 18, Harold Washington Library Center, Cindy Pritzker Auditorium: 400 S. State St., 6 p.m., FREE!